Refuse loader

ABSTRACT

A refuse loader having a storage compartment, a hollow tailgate structure adjacent to the rear end of the storage compartment and an apparatus substantially mounted in the hollow tailgate structure. The apparatus comprises a sweep panel for compressing refuse loaded onto the bottom of the tailgate structure, grinding it and transferring it into the storage compartment, hydraulic cylinder assemblies for operation of this sweep panel, and link mechanisms connecting the cylinder assemblies to the sweep panel.

United States Patent Kunii May 20, 1975 REFUSE LOADER $ollnick ..1 ,6 6. l l oppins eta. [761 lnvenm" fi lg g i zt g 3727.779 4/1973 Herpick et a]. 214/813 aiasu ogyo au. 1-45, -chome, Koshienguchi. Nishinomiywshi Hyogmkem Japan Primary Exammer-Albert J. Makay [22] Filed: Oct. 30, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 302,564 [571 ABSTRACT A refuse loader having a storage compartment, a hol- 301 Foreign A n ti priority Data low tailgate structure adjgcent to the rear and of tllie I storage compartment an an apparatus su stantia y May 1972 Japan 47 45199 mounted in the hollow tailgate structure. The apparatus comprises a sweep panel for compressing refuse loaded Onto the bottom of the tailgate structure [58] Fie'ld 3 503 grinding it and transferring it into the storage compartment, hydraulic cylinder assemblies for operation [56] References Cited of this sweep panel, and link mechanisms connecting UNITED STATES PATENTS the cylinder assemblies to the sweep panel.

2,928.562 3/1960 Gollnick 214/833 X 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PMENTEB HAY 2 0 I975 SHEET 10F 3 PATENTEU HAYZOIQYS SHEET 2 BF 3 FIG. 5

FIG. 4

4, 372 PATENTED 88 sum 3 OF 3 REFUSE LOADER BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a refuse loader for loading refuse into a storage compartment and compressing it therein.

In a refuse loader having a storage compartment and a hollow tailgate structure adjacent to the rear end of the storage compartment, it is desirable that the storage compartment have as much space for refuse as possible. For this reason, it is necessary that the tailgate structure, in contrast with the storage compartment be as compact as possible. Moreover, the refuse must be ground during transfer from the tailgate structure to the storage compartment and compressed therein.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a refuse loader of the above type, which has a compact hollow tailgate structure to allow as much space for the storage compartment as possible.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refuse loader of the above type, for which the hollow tailgate structure has an apparatus therein for grinding the refuse while transferring it through the bottom por* tion of the hollow tailgate structure toward the storage compartment by means of a sweep panel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a refuse loader of the above type for which the hollow tailgate structure has an apparatus therein which comprises a sweep panel, a rail member, and hydraulic cylinder assemblies for driving the sweep panel along the rail member. The sweep panel is moved up and down, or swung in one direction in order to compress the refuse loaded onto the bottom of the tailgate structure, and grinding it and transferring toward the storage compartment.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a refuse loader of the above type for which the hollow tailgate structure is swung upwards about the rear end uppermost portion of the storage compartment for dumping refuse loaded therein without any specially mounted driving source but the hydraulic cylinder assemblies for driving the sweep panel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a refuse loader which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and operate, and efficient in operation in handling a supply of refuse.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a partial, foreshortened side elevational view of a refuse collector provided with the loader of the present invention.

FIG. 2 FIG. 5 are side elevational views ofa portion of the collector and loader assembly shown in FIG. 1, respectively showing different positions of the refuse handling means.

FIG. 6 is a fluid circuit diagram showing a fluid circuit for operation of the hydraulic cylinder assemblies in the loader shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 respectively illustrate different modifications of the refuse loader shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1, shows a body 1 forming a storage compartment inside it, which is mounted on the frame of a refuse collector. Adjacent to the rear end opening of the storage compartment, there is settled a hollow tailgate structure 2, such that the structure 2 can be swung upwards and to the rear about a hinge member 2' at the upper rear end of the body 1 for opening the rear end of the body I. The hollow tailgate structure 2 has an opening 4 at the lower rear end and a trough-shaped bottom 5, which is reinforced by appropriate stiffening members.

Mounted inside the hollow tailgate structure 2 is a refuse handling apparatus which compresses refuse loaded onto the bottom 5, and grinds it and transfers it toward the storage compartment in the body 1. The apparatus has a sweep panel 6 which extends in a transverse direction across the tailgate structure 2. The horizontal supportingshaft 12, attached to the fixed end of the panel 6 is pivotally secured at the free end of the piston rod of a first hydraulic cylinder assembly whose fixed end is pivotally supported by the body 1 at the upper rear 13 thereof. A pair of rollers 14, supported on the opposite ends of the supporting shaft 12 are engaged respectively, with a pair of rail members 11 elongated downwards and to the rear along both inner side walls of the tailgate structure 2. The fixed end of the sweep panel 6 can slide up and down along the rail members 11.

Pivotally supported by the tailgate structure 2 at the bottom 5 of point 15 is the fixed end of a second hydraulic cylinder assembly 8, the free end of the piston rod of which is connected to the end of a pair of link members 9 and 10 at 8. The cylinder assembly 8 is sup ported so that it can be swung forward and back rearwards about the point 15. The other end of the link 9 is pivotally connected to the tailgate structure 2 at a point 16, while the other end of the link 10 is pivotally connected to the moving side of the sweep panel 6 at point 6'.

Moreover, an auxiliary link member 41, which has a pivotal part 17 at its middle is pivotally interposed between the shaft 12 c'onnected to the tip of the first cylinder assembly 7 and the point 8 at the tip of the second cylinder assembly 8. The auxiliary link 41 is of a length smaller than the distance between the shaft 12 in the extended-position of the first cylinder 7 and the point 8' in the extended position of the second cylinder 8.

Any flexible wire, chain or the like can be used as connecting means instead of the auxiliary link member 41, described above.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sweep panel 6 is horizontally held at its upper position in the retracted position of the first cylinder and the protracted position of the second cylinder 8. As shown in FIG. 3, the sweep panel 6 is kept in the lower portion of the hollow chamber in the structure 2 in the protracted position of the first cylinder 7 and the retracted position of the second cylinder 8. Meanwhile the auxiliary link member 41 is kept in the shape of an inverted L, keeping the pivotal part 17 adjacent to the part 6 between the link 10 and the sweep panel 6.

FIG. 6, shows a fluid circuit for operation of the first and second cylinder assemblies in driving the sweep panel 6 during a predetermined cycle. The front chamber 21 and back chamber 22 of the first cylinder 7 are in connected, respectively, with port 19 and 20 of a first exchange valve 18 through conduits 23 and 24.

The back and front chambers 34 and 35 of the second 7 cylinder 8 are connected, respectively, with port 32 and 33 of a second exchange valve 31 through conduits 36 and 37. The pump port 25 of the first exchange valve 18 is connected with a pump 29 through conduit 27. The tank port 26 of the first exchange valve 18 is connected with the pump port 38 of the second exchange valve 31 through conduit 28. Moreover, the tank port 39 of the second exchange valve 31 is connected to fluid tank 30 through conduit 40.

The conduit 24 has a branch conduit 42 to connect the front chamber 21 to the back chamber 22 through a one-way valve 44 in the retracted position of the first cylinder 7. The conduit 23 has a branch conduit 46 to connect the back chamber 22 to the front chamber 21 through a one-way valve 48 in the protracted position of the first cylinder 7. The conduit 36 has a branch conduit 43 to connect the front chamber 35 to the back chamber 34 through a one-way valve 45 in the retracted position of the second cylinder 8 extremely. The conduit 37 has a branch conduit 47 to connect the back chamber 34 to the front chamber 35 in the protracted position of the second cylinder 8.

In operation, referring to FIG. 2 FIG. 5, initially the loader is in the position shown in FIG. 2. The sweep panel 6 is held in the upper position by virtue of the retracted first cylinder 7 and the second cylinder 8 protracted, for accepting refuse loaded from the opening 4 of the tailgate structure 2. If the first exchange valve 18 is turned counter clockwise and the second exchange valve 31 is turned clockwise in right in the above condition of the loader, hydraulic fluid pumped out of the tank 30 by the pump 29 will flow into the back chamber 22 through the conduit 27, pump port 25, port 19 and conduit 24 to protract the first cylinder 7. Fluid flowing out of the front chamber 21 will flow into the front chamber 35 through the conduit 23, port 20, tank port 26, conduit 28, pump port 38, port 33 and conduit 37 to retract the second cylinder 8. Meanwhile, the fixed end of the sweep panel 6 slides downwards, rotating the rollers 14 along the rail member 11, accompanying the moving end of the sweep panel 6, holding the panel 6 in a horizontal position so that the sweep panel 6 compresses refuse loaded onto the bottom of the tailgate structure 2.

After the sweep panel 6 is completely pushed down as shown in FIG. 3, the first exchange valve 18 is turned clockwise for a normal cycle. Then the fluid which comes out of the pump 29 will flow into the front chamber 21 of the first cylinder 7 through the conduit 27, pump port 25, port 20 and conduit 23 to retract the first cylinder 7 holding the second cylinder 8 retracted. Thus the fixed end of the sweep panel 6 is moved upwards along the rail member 11, while the moving end of the second cylinder 8 is kept at a stationary point with the aid of link 9. Accordingly, link turns clockwise about the pivoting point 8 at which link 10 and the second cylinder assembly 8 are pivotally connected to each other. The sweep panel 6 supported with link 10 is driven forward along the trough formed in the bottom 5 of the tailgate structure 2, turning clockwise about the root side portion thereof to grind and transfer refuse loaded between the panel 6 and the trough in the bottom 5 and compress it toward the storage compartment in the body 1.

When refuse has been compressed into the compartment of the body 1, the first cylinder 7 has been retracted as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, if the first exchange valve 18 is turned to a neutral position and the second exchange valve 31 is turned counter clockwise, fluid flowing out of the pump 29 will flow into the back chamber 34 of the second cylilnder 8 through the conduit 27, pump port 25, tank port 26, conduit 28, pump port 38, port 32 and conduit 36 to protract the second cylinder 8. Consequently the moving end of the sweep panel 6 is lifted up with the link 10 pivotally connected to the cylinder 8 to turn the panel 6 counterclockwise about its fixed end for the next cycle of refuse loading as shown in FIG. 2.

In the dumping operation of the loader, if the first and second cylinders 7 and 8 are both on retracted, as shown in FIG. 4, the first exchange valve 18 and second, exchange valve 31 are respectively turned counter clockwise. Consequently fluid which comes out of the pump 29 flows into the back chamber 22 of the first cylinder 7 through the conduit 27 and conduit 24 to protract the cylinder 7. Fluid exhausted out of the front chamber 21 flows into the back chamber 34 of the second cylinder 8 through the conduits 23, 28 and 36 to protract the cylinder 8, causing the auxiliary link 41 to straighten, preventing further relative motion between the first and second cylinder assemblies 7 and 8. Accordingly the tailgate structure 2 is pushed up and to the rear about the pivotal point 2' by the first cylinder 7 with aid of the auxiliary link 41 and the second cylinder 8.

If the apparatus is in one retracted position of the first cylinder 7, and the second cylinder 8 is protracted as shown in FIG. 2,, both the exchange valves 18 and 31 are turned counter clockwise for swinging the tailgate structure 2. Consequently, fluid which comes out of the pump 29 flows into the first cylinder 7 to protract the cylinder 7. Fluid exhausted out of the first cylinder 7 flows into the tank 30 through the branch conduit 47 connected to the back chamber 34 of the second cylinder assembly 8, causing both the first and second cylinders 7 and 8 to protract to swing the tailgate structure 2 and to the rear.

Moreover, if the apparatus is in the protracted position of the first cylinder 7 retracted is in the position of the second cylinder 8 extremely, both the exchange valves 18 and 31 are also turned counter clockwise for swinging the tailgate structure. Consequently fluid which comes out of the pump 29 flows into the back chamber 22 of the first cylinder 7. Fluid exhausted out of the front chamber 21 flows into the back chamber 34 of the second cylinder 8. Thereafter, fluid exhausted out of the back chamber 22 flows into the back chamber 34 through the branch conduit 46 to protract the second cylinder 8, causing the tailgate structure 2 to swing up and to the rear.

Shown in FIG. 7 is a refuse loader of another embodiment of the present invention. A tailgate structure 102 is pivotally connected to a body 101 at a the top 102'. The tailgate structure 102 has a front opening 103, rear opening 104 and a trough 105. A refuse loading apparatus comprises a sweep panel 106, a first cylinder assembly 107, a second cylinder assembly 108, a link member 109 between a portion 116 on the inner wall of the structure 102 and the tip 118 of the cylinder assembly 108, a link member 110 between the middle 106' of the sweep panel 106 and the point 118', a rail member 111, and rollers 114 rotatable around a shaft 112 on the sweep panel 106. But the first cylinder 107 fixed end 113 while the second cylinder 108 is also connected to the same structure 102 at its fixed end 115. Therefore, the cylinder 107 can not swing the tailgate structure 102 up and to the rear. Thus, in the loader of this embodiment, it is necessary to position another cylinder assembly between the body 101 and the structure 102 for swinging the tailgate structure 102.

Shown in FIG. 8 is another modification of the loader shown in FIG. 7. This loader has a body 301, tailgate structure 302, sweep panel 306, first and second cylinder assemblies 307 and 308, and a rail member 311. But the free end of the piston rod of the cylinder assembly 308 is connected to the sweep panel 306 through a link 310, and is restricted in motion by a curved long guide hole 317 on the wall of the tailgate structure 302. Thus the apparatus for loading refuse can be made simple in structure.

I claim:

1. A refuse loader comprising, in combination, a storage compartment; a hollow tailgate structure adjacent to the rear end of said storage compartment; apparatus substantially mounted in said hollow tailgate structure for compressing and transferring refuse from an opening at the rear end portion of said tailgate structure to said storage compartment; a pair of rail members fixed to the side wall of said tailgate structure and substantially vertically elongated near the bottom of said tailgate structure; a sweep panel mounted in said tailgate structure with root end portion movable upwardly and downwardly along said rail members; a first hydraulic cylinder with free end portion pivotally connected to theroot portion of said sweep panel; a second hydraulic cylinder having one end pivotally supported by said tailgate structure at a bottom portion thereof; a first link member having one end pivotally connected to the free end portion of said second hydraulic cylinder and having the other end pivotally connected to a side wall portion of said tailgate structure; a second link member having one end pivotally connected to the tip side portion of said sweep panel and having the other end pivotally connected to the free end of said second hydraulic cylinder, the refuse loaded onto the bottom of said tailgate structure being compressed and transferred into said storage compartment by said sweep panel which is initially moved downwardly and vertically in horizontal attitude along said rail members by means of cooperation of said first and second hydraulic cylinders,

. said sweep panel being swung about a horizontal axis thereof by means of retracting movement of said first cylinder.

2. A refuse loader according to claim 1, wherein fluid chambers of said first and second hydraulic cylinders communicate with each other throughfluid passages so that fluid exhausted out of the chamber of one of said hydraulic cylinders is supplied to the chamber of the other hydraulic cylinder through said fluid passages.

3. A refuse loader according to claim 1, including a flexible link member connecting the free end of said first hydraulic cylinder to that of said second hydraulic cylinder, and having a length less than the distance between the free end of said first hydraulic cylinder when fully extended and the free end of said second hydraulic cylinder when fully extended. 

1. A refuse loader comprising, in combination, a storage compartment; a hollow tailgate structure adjacent to the rear end of said storage compartment; apparatus substantially mounted in said hollow tailgate structure for compressing and transferring refuse from an opening at the rear end portion of said tailgate structure to said storage compartment; a pair of rail members fixed to the side wall of said tailgate structure and substantially vertically elongated near the bottom of said tailgate structure; a sweep panel mounted in said tailgate structure with root end portion movable upwardly and downwardly along said rail members; a first hydraulic cylinder with free end portion pivotally connected to the root portion of said sweep panel; a second hydraulic cylinder having one end pivotally supported by said tailgate structure at a bottom portion thereof; a first link member having one end pivotally connected to the free end portion of said second hydraulic cylinder and having the other end pivotally connected to a side wall portion of said tailgate structure; a second link member having one end pivotally connected to the tip side portion of said sweep panel and having the other end pivotally connected to the free end of said second hydraulic cylinder, the refuse loaded onto the bottom of said tailgate structure being compressed and transferred into said storage compartment by said sweep panel which is initially moved downwardly and vertically in horizontal attitude along said rail members by means of co-operation of said first and second hydraulic cylinders, said sweep panel being swung about a horizontal axis thereof by means of retracting movement of said first cylinder.
 2. A refuse loader according to claim 1, wherein fluid chambers of said first and second hydraulic cylinders communicate with each other through fluid passages so that fluid exhausted out of the chamber of one of said hydraulic cylinders is supplied to the chamber of the other hydraulic cylinder through said fluid passages.
 3. A refuse loader according to claim 1, including a flexible link member connecting the free end of said first hydraulic cylinder to that of said second hydraulic cylinder, and having a length less than the distance between the free end of said first hydraulic cylinder when fully extended and the free end of said second hydraulic cylinder when fully extended. 